The adrenaline rush at the start of the Bayonet Assault Course was palpable…. “Fix Bayonets” yelled the instructor. My knees and elbows scraped against the gravelly terrain as I low-crawled under barbed wire and navigated through the obstacles. In my arms I cradled my M16 rifle with a bayonet affixed to the muzzle. In between stretches of obstacles we attacked life-like rubber mannequins. I exhaled “Whoa” as I parried the butt of the rifle up from right to left smashing the squishy head of the mannequin , then slashed left to right across the torso and then lunged forward to drive the tip of the bayonet into the sternum. This was to simulate a dire situation, a last ditch effort where there was no ammunition left to fire. The only option was to move forward with all your might, or die on the battlefield. It was there that I first learned the concept of the “Spirit of the Bayonet.”
Years later in my studies at West Point, I read of the historic battles that were determined by the Spirit of the Bayonet like the bayonet charge led by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain who was in command of the 20th Maine Regiment at Little Round Top. This frantic and heroic act held the left flank of the Union Army and sealed the defeat of the Confederates at Gettysburg. The Spirit of the Bayonet broke the will of the enemy and changed history.
At times in my business career, I have found myself in situations where I have been on the brink of disaster, out of resources – and my only option was to develop a “Fix Bayonets” mentality. Clearly, this type of courage pales in comparison to the bravery displayed in combat, and I hesitate to push this analogy too far. “Entrepreneurial Warrior Spirit” is our motto adapted in honor of the Spirit of the Bayonet.
Bayonet Capital invests in a multitude of entrepreneurial ventures where we feel our capital and expertise can have trans formative impact. We make sole direct investments ranging in size from $25,000 to $500,000 and we co-invest in larger deals. In most cases we invest in businesses that are veteran led.